Exit choice in fire emergencies - Influencing choice of exit with flashing lights

Daniel Nilsson

Research output: ThesisDoctoral Thesis (compilation)

2610 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Fire accidents and evacuation experiments have revealed that people often use familiar exits in fire emergencies. However, the design of emergency exits has also been shown to impact people’s choice of exit. In the present research, the use of flashing lights to direct people to emergency exits is explored in a series of experiments in both buildings and road tunnels. Recommendations concerning how the system should be designed are developed based on the results. In addition, a framework (Theory of Affordances) is used to explain and interpret the empirical findings and a research strategy for testing and developing evacuation systems is proposed.
Original languageEnglish
QualificationDoctor
Awarding Institution
  • Division of Fire Safety Engineering
Supervisors/Advisors
  • van Hees, Patrick, Supervisor
Award date2009 May 28
Publisher
ISBN (Print)978-91-628-7755-2
Publication statusPublished - 2009

Bibliographical note

Defence details

Date: 2009-05-28
Time: 10:15
Place: Room, V:A, V-building, John Ericssons väg 1, Lund University Faculty of Engineering

External reviewer(s)

Name: Boyce, Karen
Title: Dr.
Affiliation: University of Ulster, Northern Ireland

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Subject classification (UKÄ)

  • Other Civil Engineering
  • Building Technologies

Free keywords

  • Theory of Affordances.
  • green flashing lights
  • active evacuation systems
  • affiliation
  • exit choice
  • evacuation
  • egress
  • Fire

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